Would You Swap Places?

July 30, 2018

Day 1

I’m awake.

There are quite a lot of us and we are huddled together. We look the same except for the others. They look big and scary. I’ve never seen these things before, they are definitely not human. We are being separated into males and females and my brother has been taken away.

Day 2

Yesterday I could hear commotion from a nearby room. I heard people being rounded up into groups, there was a lot of shouting and then all of a sudden there were screams of terror and cries of pain. I overheard one of the females saying that the ‘Big Species’ (that’s what we had started calling them) didn’t like males. Why wouldn’t they like males? I’m worried for my brother.

Day 3

Today we were being moved. The Big Species would come in and take us out one by one. Everyone would try to get away but no amount of screaming or struggling would work. They were too strong. Then it was my turn.

They pulled out my teeth. They ripped out my nails. They said it was for my own good.

Then we were locked in a room. I’m being held hostage by monsters.

Day 4

The Big Species haven’t allowed us to leave the room yet. It’s quite a big room but there are a lot of us in here so it’s starting to smell. There is no where to go to the toilet so people are going where they are sitting, involuntarily because of the fear. Everyone is so scared.

We have a lot of food.

Day 6

I don’t think they are ever going to let us leave.

There has been no sign of my brother.

Day 7

Today I could hear screaming from outside, from another area of the prison. They said she was having a baby. She was screaming because she was having a baby? No, she was screaming because they were dragging her baby away. Human breast milk was a commodity and they wanted it for themselves.

What kind of hell-hole is this place?

Day 21

I’m constantly on edge. Hearing screams and cries every so often. I can’t stop shaking. I keep pacing the room, but I’m constantly bumping into someone, there is no space in here! I’m starting to lose my hair. I can’t see outside, I don’t know whether it’s day or night because they keep leaving the lights on.

They are not letting me sleep. I NEED TO SLEEP!

Day 28

What do they want with us? The biggest females were taken away today. I don’t know if they are coming back.

Day 32

People keep dying. I counted at least 5 have died today. What can we expect? WE ARE LIVING IN OUR OWN WASTE! You just find them, lying there, motionless, where they once had been sitting.

Some of the women are having break downs and lashing out at each other.

I know every inch of this room, there is no way out unless the Big Species leave the door open. I keep trying to escape. I’ve tried running out as they enter the room but they are always ready for me.

I’m going to die here.

Day 35

I don’t know what to do. I can’t breathe properly and I’m struggling to walk. Is this how I’m going to die? I’ve lived my whole life in a room – who does this to someone!? What could they possibly want from me?

Day 42

They’ve started loading us up into a truck. It’s almost my turn. I knew my perseverance would pay off, I’m finally getting out of this place! Anywhere is going to be better than this room. I overheard the Big Species chatting, they mentioned some sort of house. I think they said ‘slaw ta house’. I’ve not heard of that place before.

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Would you be fine with swapping lives with a chicken farmed for their meat? If not, then we cannot abide by and fund a business that treats lives in a way that we would not wish to be treated.

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46 thoughts on “Would You Swap Places?”

A very disturbing and moving post. It actually made me cry. Personalising the experience this way and writing from the animal’s point of view is (I think) a very effective way to get the point across and to express the cruelty, the terror and the suffering of life in the animal death camps. I admire your creative efforts to persuade people to think seriously about these issues and (hopefully) to change their views and behaviour accordingly.

Thank you from the heart, Keith. This is one of the most meaningful comments someone has ever wrote on my blog. I am super grateful for the time you’ve taken to read and comment. I am very honoured to have you on my side 💚

Ah I’m sorry to have made you feel sad Christe. Surprisingly I wasn’t aiming to do that with this post but I am happy it is making people think. I would be very interested in reading your post about banning plastic straws – please share with me when possible 💚

You are incredibly on point Bianca. As much as I don’t want anyone to eat animals or their products, I think the whole issue of mass farming needs to be addressed first and foremost. Thank you for taking the time to comment 💚

I would never want to switch places either. I hope that these places would be banned, so that these animals would not be subject to such inhumane conditions anymore. If one really needs to kill these animals, they should do it in a way that does not prolong the suffering of these poor creatures. When I am able to afford my own place and not subject to family rules, I will seriously consider becoming vegan, because I do feel sad for these animals.

You did a great job with this, I’m really impressed. I wouldn’t want to swap places either…and I think the mistreatment of animals like this is absolutely foul. I’ve always been an animal advocate. And, while I am not a vegetarian or vegan, I have been trying to change my habits more. Animals don’t deserve this…they deserved to be raised in beautiful open fields with lots of HEALTHY and NATURAL foods!

That is very true, Shelby. My goal is to raise awareness for veganism (because the research behind vegan food means we don’t miss out on any foods now) but I do think you make a good point and first and foremost, an animal should not be treated like this and any reduction you can make in animals and their by-products is amazing 💚

Fortunately it is that easy to go vegan now so people have transitioned over night (I was not one of them lol). If you ever need any help in finding vegan alternatives in your area or you’d like some tips or recipes then always feel free to get in touch. I’d love to chat.

I have always admired your posts. Being a vegetarian myself, I can relate to what you have said here. Hope more and more people understand that animals and birds are not ours. The poster you shared is very powerful!

I hate that animals can be kept in such captivity. I’m a vegetarian, but I”m not against using animals for food. I’m against them not being able to lead a normal full life until their time of death.I think it’s wrong to imprison any innocent creature like that. You paint a vivid picture of what that would mean for a chicken.

Thank you for your very honest comment, Erica. I’m probably more in agreement with you as I am also not against animals being used for food if people live in parts of the world where they cannot get nutrition through plant-based products. It is so wrong that we have got to a point that factory farmed animals are treated in this way and it’s also not fair that the businesses are encouraged to do so by the government just to make more of a profit. There is a lot wrong in this world at the moment, but because of people like yourself we will hopefully get to make things better, sooner rather than later 💚

This is a very disturbing and heart-rending post. I like your style of writing and the way you have swapped the places. No one would want to swap this place. Your post has made me seriously think of going vegan. The poor animals don’t deserve all this torture.

I thank you from my heart, Shaily, for putting yourself in that uncomfortable position to read this post. I know it is hard for a lot of people – its hard to write them also. I love that you’re thinking of veganism, even the fact you’re thinking about it is more positive than not thinking about it. If you ever want to take a step towards veganism and you would like some support, then I am here 100% for you 💚

Very moving post, even though I knew where you were going with it, I couldn’t help thinking of the Holocost. Although I’m an omnivore, I stopped buying commercial several years ago. I grow my own, my parents grow it, or one of their hobby farm friends do. Animals have names and actual thankfulness given back to them, like our ancestors did. I won’t pay money for eggs that came from a farm – I get them when I visit my mom that throws them grubs from the garden and they run through her flower gardens, my toddler loves to watch them. She has several past laying age, and even four roosters, although the oldest one doesn’t let them near the ladies, obviously, so they hang out in a bachelor group. If anyone can’t give up animal products, I urge them to go local, support local. Yes it’s more expensive, but there’s actual nutrition and ethical practices in most small local farms. Our ancestors had to raise their food to survive, and I think we have gotten a little too far away from the farm and convenience shopping. In some ways, I have a hard time with vegan lifestyle, just because I’m such a traditionalist. Tofu isn’t actually too bad, but it simply didn’t exist for our grandparents…it too is thanks to convenience shopping in a way. Zoe, as always, I love reading your stuff and your perspective – I actually think we both have very similar beliefs, in different delivery. Core issue – commercial farming practices, to keep up with cheap demand, needs to stop, and consumer demand is what drives the change. ❤

Thank you for your mega comment, Ashley. I lot of vegans liken factory farming to the Jewish holocaust, some holocaust survivors have even said it themselves. So I totally understand the way you felt.

I think it’s so important to encourage open communication between people from different ends of the spectrum like us, because normally we find that we agree on more things than not and we can probably work together in ridding our common enemy – as you said, factory farming. If more people were like you then we wouldn’t be facing the widespread destruction of the forests, ocean deadzones because of industrial fishing and massive health problems on a global scale. I don’t think vegans would feel the urgency to push veganism either, because right now a lot of us feel desperate for change.

People don’t think about food anymore, and you’re right, it’s because the government feed us pre-prepared, plastic wrapped goodies and encourage us to eat like this (because it benefits them in the long run).

I’m always going to press for animal rights whereas I feel you’re on the side of animal welfare, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t work together to push for a healthier planet and environment for the future generations. It genuinely sounds like you know your stuff and I would love to link up on FB (if you’re happy to) and chat some more about this, I’d love for you to get in touch. Thanks again for your very thoughtful comment 💚

I’ve definitely spammed your blog comments before, and you always come through so poised in your replies! Honestly, I respect that so much. It’s so refreshing to “know” people that, although having very different views, can come together and advocate for their similar end game. Love! Animal rights vs animal welfare…yeah I feel like you hit the nail there. To me, it’s kind of two means to an end, on an issue we both feel passionate about on basically the same side of the fence. We’re a convenience society. If more people realized how many chickens actually died to be in their bag of terrible quality chicken breasts, and the face those chunks of meat actually had, I feel like lifestyles would be changing en masse. But, we’re just so far removed. My mother does summer school sessions at her rural hobby farm…when I visit, she tells me stories about how some kid didn’t realize carrots grow under ground. This is in rural Wisconsin, where every other kid is a farm kid…let’s not even mention more urban situations with plenty of options – I live just outside of Minneapolis, everything is not even around the corner, and it’s in whatever format we’re looking for, for a nice cheap price we still complain about. Our first step needs to be getting the thought out there to care…which we both do! Thanks for always being so open minded, it gets tough to have similar opinions and still be at odds with everyone, no matter what the issue is these days!

Such an impactful post. THIS is why I decided to go vegetarian just over a year ago. At some point, I am sure I could go completely vegan, but am taking baby steps in that direction. Animals are beautiful and sentient beings!

What a thought-provoking narrative for switching the roles to show a different point of view. I think that most people really just aren’t aware of what goes into factory farming and some of the issues with animal treatment.

You are absolutely right, Reese. We’ve been fed a whole bunch of lies and our meat/dairy/egg packaging is covered in photos of ‘happy’ animals. The truth will come out soon enough. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my article 💚

Such a powerful post. Found your blog very recently and I just love your way of writing! This kind of engagement for the animals is fantastic, and it really warms my heart to read all the comments from people you’ve made consider veganism.